Collapsible top



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. dam/s CN/umn ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 20, 1935. J. c. MILLER COLLAPSIBLE TOP Filed July 10. 1933 Aug. 20, 1935. J. c. MILLER COLLAPSIBLE TOP Filed July 10, 1953 -3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 20, 1935.

J. c, MILLER COLLAPSIBLE TOP 7 Filed July 10, 195:5

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZNVENTOR. (/1/4/05. 6. Nu urn.

i so" COLLAPSIBLE TOP Julius-c) Miller, Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.,: a cor- 'poration of Delaware 1 7 Application July 10, 1933, Serial No. 679,732

" 4 Claims. (01. 296- 121) This invention relates to an all weather top for an I automotive vehicle. Itjis an object of this invention to produce a collapsible top; for an automotive vehicle which 5V canbe raised andlowered by a single individual. This invention also contemplates collapsible top wherein the raised and collapsed positions "of the front how are controlled by the making and breaking of the cant rail. v i t [This invention further contemplates a novel locking arrangement for securing the front bow to the cant rail.

" Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the all weather top in raised position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top'plan view of the.

same.

ig. 3 s

cant rails partially broken. t

Fig. 4 shows'the top with a cant rail completely broken and the rear bowmportion partially collapsed. 1

Fig. 5 shows the top completely collapsed:

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in'section showing the lock for'securing the front-bow to "the" cant rail. M 1 i {*Fig'. 7 isa section along the'line 'I--'| of Fig. 6.

"Figgaisag section alongthe line 8-8 of Fig. .6.

Referring to *the "drawings there is shown a vehicle body: I having a windshield 2. The body l is provided with a pair of demountable pillars 3 extending from the belt to the cant rail and pivoted asat 4. The pillar 3, when it isdesired "to collapse the topj can be swung rearwardly and downwardly into the bodyso that it fits snugly along the" back of the front seat.

The top canopy 5 may be of any suitable flex- "ible materialsuch as'fabric orleather, and is secured along its rear edge as at 6 to the body and along its front edge to the windshield header FT. The header may be deta'chably' secured to the windshield in any suitable manner such as by the thumb screws .8. v The canopy 5 is'supported by, and secured to, the rear bow 9 which is pivoted to the body as at It, by the center bow H which is likewise pivoted to the body 'as at Ill, the front bow I2 and the auxiliary rear 7 ftype'comprisin'g the link [5 pivoted to the bow "H as at "I6, andthe link'll pivoted to the body asat l8 and to the link l5 as at IS.) The center bowl! supports the breakable cant-rail which is I V a longitudinal section through the top showing one of the demountable pillarsin removed'position-and one ofthe comprised of the front part and therear'part 2|. The front part 20 of the cant rail is fixed to the header! at its forward end and is hinged to theirear part 2l'as at 22. r The rear part 21 is pivoted to the center bow H as at 23. The hinge 22 is such, as shown in the drawings, that the cant rail breaks downwardly or mother words, the front part 20 hinges upwardly and backwardly upon the rear part' 2|. part 2.! ofthe cant rail has an offset portion which projects beyond the pivot 23 (Figs. 2 and 3). The projecting end 24 of the part 2| is pivotally connected as at 25 to the link 26 which is'pivotally connected to the body at its lower the upright or vertical position as shown in Fig.

l when the top is raised, should be tipped over on its side or to the approximately horizontal position as shown in Fig. 5 Whenthe top is collapsed and nested away. To this end thefbow I2 is provided with means for automatically swinging it from vertical or upright'position, shownin Fig. 1, to the down or horizontal position'shownin Fig. .5, as the top is lowered or vice versa when the top is raised. Hence, the front bow l2 has pivoted to its rear face'as at 30the link 3| which in turn is pivoted to the rear part 2| of the cant rail as at 32. The front bow has pivoted to its front face as. at 33 and .34, the links 35 and 36 respectively. The links 35 and 3G in turn are pivoted to the front part in front of the pivot 38,0f the link 36" when the top is in raised position. Hence, this arrangement is such-that when the part 20 ofthe cant rail is swung rearwardly upon the part 2|, the links 35 and 36 automatically tilt the bow 12 from the upright position, shown Fig. l, to the approximately horizontal position, shown in a It is desirablewhen the top isin raised position to lock the front bow I2 to the cant rail. To this endthe hinge 22 has fixed ;on its upper face the keeper 40. The bow 12. has slidably mounted therein the bolt 4| which is retained in'place by the screw 42 which engages the bolt in the slot 43." The bolt ,4! is provided with an opening. '44 having. arbeveled face .45 which en- The rear "4 se s r can't rails The bolt 4| is projected to the right or released position by the bolt spring 41' andis ar lock the bow l2 to the cant-rail. The bolt 4| is provided witha suitable bolt spring such as that shown. The opening 44 is somewhat larger than the keeper thus permitting the bolt to be reciprocated to the right and left as viewed in Fig. 6, within the bow l2.

rangedto be thrown into keeper-engaging position by a tumbler in the form of a bell crank 48.. One arm of the bell crank 48 engages the upturned end 49 of the bolt 4| whichserves as a a tumbler abutment. The. other arni of .the

tumbler 48 engagesin thegroove fi ll of fthe screw 5! which has threaded thereon: the, wing-111111 52;

The inner end of the screw 5| is square in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 6,.andis guidedin the: guideway 5 3. The upper end of the removable pillar 3 is provided with the prong 54 whichreuceivesthe screw 5|. The prongi i l is provided withafconcaves'ocket "whic'h rece ive's'the conveg inner endttorjthewmg nut 52.

" In operationafter the" removable. smart has been swung to upright position sothat the screw til enters-the prong I54, (the' wing nut 52 having been. previously loosened so that the. bolt spring 41 hasproj'ected' the bolt 4| to released position) the bow lz is ntted down upon tnecantmn so thatithe' keeper 40 'ent'ers'the opening .44 in' the 1 bolt 4| JAt thistime tnewingjnut 152 is tight ened' thus eausingtn'e screw! I to move outwardly "which in turn swings the bell I rank tumbier as ina counter-clockwise direction asviewed i'nljFi'g'.

81f, Asthefbell crank' is moves ih'bou'nter clock' wise direction it draws the bolt 4| to the left orlatching posi whereu'pon the beveled face t5 ofjtrie bolt ehgagesthe' beveled face 46 ofthe Itfis, of lcourse understood' thatthe'bows extend from'oneside of the body to thebther'and that they' areprovided on each side With'Ath bracea' keeperi' tlrjthusurawn 'ggthe bow l2 tightly down uponthe cant rjailand lo'cki'ng the same securely together.

to the/collapsible 'ca'nt rails the "same; as described above'byturning' the. wing nuts 52 down on the 5| Thelat ohihg off th pow {2' to t e Jar-3; cant rail; and'the frontbowj 2" has;been" released'and thefheader l disengaged from, the

windshield '2, the-front, D rt 2||-of the caiii-grailv can be swung about thehingefi' backwardly or in a clockwisef dire'ction .upon therear part 2|.

linkage; aridv {cant rails, such as-shown in the matings.- Ii'LyiIviIIb-e noted, referring particularly toFig. 3, thatasthe front part 20 of' the cant.

' rail is "-beihg jhing'ed backwardly that'thezcant rail doe's'notiall downand'strike 'the'body-.. The" cant rail can not breakuownwarmy completely an strike the body-5 v because the'p'rojectin ends itor-therearzparts. 21 or the cant 'ra'i'ls {are con nected to the' linksflt which control the 'fnaking and breaking of the canteens}? In other words,

' this is a' true one-mantop 'which-ean'be raised a desired, thereof can "be used'in raised po 1 on with the pillars 3 in lowered pol sition and issuer; case thefi'ont bow i2 is latched l 7 [2,011,723 ages the 'beveledface 46 of the keeper to and lowered by a single individualand in which the breaking of the cant rail is controlled by the links 2Band in turn the breaking of the cant rails controls the: collapsing center and rear bows. .As the part 2| of the cant rail swings counter-clockwise about the pivot 23, the pivot 25 between the projecting end24 of the part 2| and thelink 26 moves upwardly thus causing the cent'er b'owf l'l topivot clockwise or 'rearwardly,

about the pivot iil. Of course, it is understood that the brace I5 is first broken downwardly as shown in Fig. 3. t

As the part 25) of the front of the-pivot 38 moves to the rearof the pivot 38="-'Hence, as the cant rail is collapsed and swung rearwar dly along with the center bow and 'r'ear bow '9 to completely collapsed position, shown'in Fig.5, the frontbow |2 isautomatically moved fromthe upright position shown in-Fig 1 to: the;"approxir' uately, horizontalposition shown inaFig. '5, thus permitting the, collapsed topto occupy a'very much smaller space when collapsed than'ait would if' the .bowlZi remainedwupright.

In raising the top from the nested position, shown in Fig. 5, asthe hinged parts Zlandi I of the 'cant rail are. swung ab'outjthe hinge 22 to .make the cant rail, the links 3|}? and 36 automatically swing the front bow 1 2 from the :horizontal to the: upright. positioniand'at the same time the linkf26, coacting with theiproj'ecting end 24 of the .part'ii of .tnettntrau. swings the cant rail is hinged rearwardly upon the part, 2|, the pivot 33 which is finitially in vertical alignment with and above the pivot}?! movesto'tne rear of the pivot 34, as

- shown in the dotted lines Figs. 3, 4 and 5,'necessarily because the pivot tl which is initially in V.

centerbow [i to'uprightposition. ,At the same ime meanest-5, rtisett t rear w 9 the raised position, shown in Fig. 7.1 The center bow H can be' fu'rth'er supported by'sna'pping the brace will overcenter. p

ing a removable bow and a. cant; railfor supportingi the. bow, Safkeeper fixed to one of the said inember's'; ,and afreciproc'able bolt'mounted on the o'ther of said members, the said bolt/and keeper having interengaging, cam surfaces, and means for drawing the bolt; into interengaged, relation with the said keeper whereby the. bow is latched tightly into rattle-proof 'ing'agem 'ent with the cantrail. Y I 1 1-. In 'aicoll top for toilets a collapsible top for. vehicle body" having a removable bow and a'cant rail for support- 'ing the bow. .akeepen fifzed to one of the said members and a reciprocable boltmounted on the other of-said mGmbBI S 'thE saidlboltand keeper having interengaging cam surfacesjand means for drawing t e bolt into interen gag e d' relation wit these k t i ht t the tit t t he tightlyiinto rattlerproofiengagement with the cant rail, and aspringffor throwinglthe bolt into released position when thetbolt retracting means arejreleased. 5 j .1,

' Iln a collapsible toptf or a vehicle bodyfhava removable; bow at cant rail for supportingthesa ne, a keep ercarried by oneof said members, a reciprocableboltslidably mounted on the other ofsaid members, thesaidbolt-and keep"- er having interengaging cam surfaces-a bell crank tumbler; having :one arm in operative engagement with the boltf-orretracting the same, a.

' slidable screw operatively;'-engaged; to the other armofthe bell crank, andga nut threadedonthe said screw'whereby when i the. nutis turned down keeper having interengaging cam surfaces, a bell crank tumbler having one arm in operative en gagement with the belt for retracting the same,

a slidable screw operatively engaged to the other arm of the bell crank, a conical nut threaded on the said screw, and a removable pillar for supporting the said bow and cant rail having a bifurcated bracket with a conical socket arranged to receive the slidable screw whereby when the nut is turned down the movement of the screw is translated through the bell crank tumbler to the bolt to latch the bow and cant rail together and t the conical nut engages the conical socket in the removable pillar bracket to latch the pillar to 10 the cant rail and bow.

JULIUS C. MILLER. 

